Lesson Topic: Making meaning from multimodal texts
Learning Area/s: Environments
Lesson Focus: This lesson aims to extend students' knowledge of the harmful effects of plastic bags on the environment through the viewing of a Behind The News (BTN) video. In addition, students will be introduced to analysis of multimodal texts by learning about the various features that work in combination to create such texts and discussing the way in which these design elements help make meaning. Students will also have the opportunity during this lesson to consider the types of elements they feel would be most appropriate to include in their own multimodal texts (to be created later in the unit).
Outcomes and Indicators
ENS2.6 Environments - Describes people's interactions with environments and identifies responsible ways of interacting with environment.
Identify the impact of plastic bags on the natural world
Identify and discuss strategies to solve this problem
Recognises this as a community, state, national and international issue.
RS2.5 - Reading - Reads independently a wide range of texts on increasingly challenging topics and justifies own interpretation, information and events.
RS2.7 - Reading - Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they create a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes.
Engages with children's TV documentaries and news shows
Constructs meaning from a combination of design elements in multimodal texts.
Identifies the symbolic use of audio e.g. music and visuals e.g. pictures/videos
Recognises that texts can be structured in a number of ways, all of which create meaning.
TS2.1 - Talking and Listening - Communicates in informal and formal classroom activities in school and social situations for an increasing range of purposes on a variety of topics across the curriculum.
Participates in small group/whole class discussions relating to the effect of plastic bags on the environment
Participates in small group/whole class discussions relating to the features of multimodal texts.
Making meaning with Multimodal texts information graphic (printed as a poster or accessed electronically on the IWB or digital projector)
Butchers Paper
Texta/Marker
Lesson Outline
Teacher
Student
Time
Resources
Introduction
Explain that students are going to be working in small 'sustainability' groups to create a multimodal news campaign to persuade NSW residents to support a ban on plastic bags as they are having detrimental effects on the environment. outlining. This campaign will take the form of a video, modeled from the ABC Behind the News (BTN) news reports.
Organise students into five sustainability groups. (Groups of four or five is ideal - alter number to suit class size).
Play the BTN video 'Plastic Bags' and reminding students that they will be creating a video similar in format to this.
Ask students to provide initial thoughts on the video, the content introduced, the formatting (the visuals, the music, the voice overs etc). Did they think the video was effective in putting forward a point of view? Why/why not?
Students sit with their sustainability group
Students participate in a first viewing of the multimodal text
Students discuss initial thoughts ad opinions on the BTN video.
Provide each student with an A3 Multimodal text worksheet. Play the video again, this time asking students to note down any information they find interesting from the video in the fist column.
.
Students record interesting information in the 'what information did you learn?' column.
5 minutes
BTN Multimodal text worksheets
Pens/Pencils
BTN
Plastic Bags Video
Show students the Making meaning with Multimodal texts information poster and discuss with students how multimodal texts use a combination of design elements to help make meaning. Go through each element and discuss the features that may exist within each. Ask students to suggest examples of each element from the BTN video. How do these elements work together to create meaning? Could each element create the same meaning by themselves? Why do you think a combination of elements is used?
Students offer suggestions of a variety of design elements used in the BTN multimodal text.
5 minutes
Making meaning with Multimodal texts information poster
Select certain sections of the video for the students to analyse. Have a copy of the students' worksheet enlarged on butcher's paper prior to the lesson. Play the video section 0:58-1:37 which is concerned with the effect that plastic bags have on wildlife. Ask students to note on their individual worksheets visual elements, any written text during this section, any audio or other notable features. Ask for volunteers to share what they wrote and write these responses on the butchers paper. This will be a model for the students independent analysis of the following sections;
0:29 - 0:56 - Facts and statistics about plastic bags
1:47 - 2:17 - What are plastic bags made out of? Why are they so harmful?
2:21 - 2:42 - Types of bags (past to present)
After playing each section twice, give students 1-2 minutes to jot down any extra points and then share the responses as a class. Focus questions on how these multimodal design elements work together to create meaning. Examples of key elements ideal for discussion include; the use of images/videos of wildlife ingesting plastic from the ocean accompanied by the use of somber music with lyrics 'I wish that I could cry' or the black and white colour scheme when showing video of shoppers using paper bags in the 1960s.
Students analyse sections of the video, noting and discussing how multimodal elements have been used in the BTN video and suggesting possible reasons for their inclusion.
12 minutes
Enlarged worksheet on butcher's paper
Markers/textas
BTN
Plastic Bags Video
Organise students back into their sustainability groups and provide each group with a blank sheet of A3 paper and a marker/texta. appoint a scribe in each group and ask these students to write multimodal texts in the centre of the page. Allow groups 5-6 minutes to discuss/jot down the multimodal elements that they thought were most effective in the BTN video and underline any of these effects that they would consider using in their own multimodal video campaign e.g. use of colour, pictures of animals, addition of music.
Ask a spokesperson from each group to share the groups' favourite/most effective element and to explain why they thought it worked effectively in the BTN video.
Students work collaboratively in their sustainability groups to discuss the multimodal design elements that they believe were most effective in helping to create meaning.
Spokesperson reports features of their groups discussion to the class.
10 minutes
5 Sheets of A3 paper
5 textas/markers
Concluding Strategy
Briefly show students the jaycut website and explain they they will be using this software to create their own multimodal texts within their sustainability groups.Show examples of these videos and point out how these examples have integrated the design features utilised in the BTN video explored throughout the lesson.
Show students the video Behind Behind the News to demonstrate how the BTN team make their own videos. This video addresses consideration of many of the design features discussed throughout the lesson and is an interesting way to conclude.
Students watch examples of multimodal videos from jaycut.com
Students ask an questions about the final rick multimodal task
Observation Notes - Take brief observation notes throughout class discussions specifically focusing on whether students are able to recognise that the various design elements in multimodal texts ultimately work in collaboration to make/enhance meaning.
Worksamples - Collect students' BTN News Report - Multimodal texts worksheet and note whether each student was able to record specific content related information from the BTN video, identify multimodal design elements used in the video and propose possible reasons as to why such an effect was used.
General Observation - Were students able to participate in group/class discussions relating to environmental content and multimodal texts.
Special Considerations:
Pair students requiring greater literacy support with more capable students during the independent tasks. Where possible work with these students in a small group providing extra support with regards to writing, analysing the video, working with their sustainability group etc
It may be useful to use this lesson as an opportunity to gauge the dynamics between the newly constructed sustainability groups. After this lesson it might be necessary to make some changes to the groups to ensure that students are able to work together productively throughout the course of the unit.
Self-reflection/Evaluation:
Questions for reflection at the completion of this lesson;
Did the lesson address the anticipated learning outcomes for both HSIE and English
Did students achieve the identified HSIE and English outcomes? If not, how could this lesson be modified to allow students to engage with the key concepts on a deeper level?
Were the students able to work productively within their sustainability groups? Do changes need to be made?
How effective was the BTN video in demonstrating elements of multimodal texts?
Were students able to identify/discuss these elements and propose suggestions for their inclusion in the text?
Were the resources used appropriately for the lesson? Was the worksheet useful for the task?
Were the assessment strategies useful in gaining assessment information about student achievement?
What modifications should be made when teaching this lesson in the future?
ENS2.6 Environments - Describes people's interactions with environments and identifies responsible ways of interacting with environment.
RS2.5 - Reading - Reads independently a wide range of texts on increasingly challenging topics and justifies own interpretation, information and events.
RS2.7 - Reading - Discusses how writers relate to their readers in different ways, how they create a variety of worlds through language and how they use language to achieve a wide range of purposes.
TS2.1 - Talking and Listening - Communicates in informal and formal classroom activities in school and social situations for an increasing range of purposes on a variety of topics across the curriculum.
Organise students into five sustainability groups. (Groups of four or five is ideal - alter number to suit class size).
Play the BTN video 'Plastic Bags' and reminding students that they will be creating a video similar in format to this.
Ask students to provide initial thoughts on the video, the content introduced, the formatting (the visuals, the music, the voice overs etc). Did they think the video was effective in putting forward a point of view? Why/why not?
Students participate in a first viewing of the multimodal text
Students discuss initial thoughts ad opinions on the BTN video.
BTN
Plastic Bags Video
.
Pens/Pencils
BTN
Plastic Bags Video
0:29 - 0:56 - Facts and statistics about plastic bags
1:47 - 2:17 - What are plastic bags made out of? Why are they so harmful?
2:21 - 2:42 - Types of bags (past to present)
After playing each section twice, give students 1-2 minutes to jot down any extra points and then share the responses as a class. Focus questions on how these multimodal design elements work together to create meaning. Examples of key elements ideal for discussion include; the use of images/videos of wildlife ingesting plastic from the ocean accompanied by the use of somber music with lyrics 'I wish that I could cry' or the black and white colour scheme when showing video of shoppers using paper bags in the 1960s.
Markers/textas
BTN
Plastic Bags Video
Ask a spokesperson from each group to share the groups' favourite/most effective element and to explain why they thought it worked effectively in the BTN video.
Spokesperson reports features of their groups discussion to the class.
5 textas/markers
Show students the video Behind Behind the News to demonstrate how the BTN team make their own videos. This video addresses consideration of many of the design features discussed throughout the lesson and is an interesting way to conclude.
Students ask an questions about the final rick multimodal task
Jaycut website
Behind Behind the News video
Observation Notes - Take brief observation notes throughout class discussions specifically focusing on whether students are able to recognise that the various design elements in multimodal texts ultimately work in collaboration to make/enhance meaning.
Worksamples - Collect students' BTN News Report - Multimodal texts worksheet and note whether each student was able to record specific content related information from the BTN video, identify multimodal design elements used in the video and propose possible reasons as to why such an effect was used.
General Observation - Were students able to participate in group/class discussions relating to environmental content and multimodal texts.
Pair students requiring greater literacy support with more capable students during the independent tasks. Where possible work with these students in a small group providing extra support with regards to writing, analysing the video, working with their sustainability group etc
It may be useful to use this lesson as an opportunity to gauge the dynamics between the newly constructed sustainability groups. After this lesson it might be necessary to make some changes to the groups to ensure that students are able to work together productively throughout the course of the unit.
Questions for reflection at the completion of this lesson;